Pencil-clip



A. HASSELGREN AND D. B. NEWMAN,

PENCIL CLIP.

APPLICATION FILED DECJI. I9l9. 1,356,143. Patented 0ctu19,'120

5 Tl Ii 6 Q 70 X M l/Vl/E/VTOBS Jlxel lfasselgren 170mg; B. Jlwman v ATTOR/VEY UNITED .S'TA

PATENT OFFICE. I

genera-cur.

specification of Letters Patent. ifatented Qct. 1920.

Applicationfiled December 11,-1919. Serial No. 344,098.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, .AxnL ,Hassnmnnn and DENNIS B. NEWMAN, bothcitizensof the United States, residing at Ansonia, in the county of Newv Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovementin Pencil-Clips, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to pencil clips, but more particularly tothat-,classof the same which are designed for holding pencils and thelike behind the ear, although by a particular adjustment of parts it maybe adapted for holdingpencils andthelike in the pocket of a coat orother garment.

The object of the inventionis to provide an "economical and durabledevice of this character which can be slippedcon to the pencil in eitherdirection and whenin position on the pencil canbe openedrby means of aspring finger to admit that portion of the ear in front of the pencil.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of the clip showing the spring finger in itsdepressed or open position;

Fig. 2, a top view of the same;

Fig. 3, a central, longitudinal, sectional view of the clip before it isslipped on to the pencil;

Fig. 4:, a cross sectional view taken on line 0cm in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5, a view of the blank from which the ferrule portion of the clipis made, and

Fig. 6, a view of the blank bent up readyto be assembled.

The device primarily consists of two parts, that is the attachingferrule 2 and the finger 3. The attaching ferrule 2 is formed of a blanklike that shown in Fig. 5 in which the sides and ends are out to desiredshape so that when the fiat blank is bent up into circular .iorm it willhave the curved ends and cut away side portions shown in Figs. 1, 2 and3. In laying out the blank shown in Fig. 5 the side ears 1, 4 of theferrule are formed by slitting the blank for a portion of its lengthadjacent to one end thereof as shown by the slot 5, and also making aslit at right angles to the slot 5 by giving opposite curvatures to theedges of the metal 6, 6. Adjacent to these curved edges and concentrictherewith are formed the pintle holes 7, 7- When the blank is ,thusslitand bent to the circular configuraandythe bending up of the slittedportions.

to form side ears is one of the principal features of our invention. Thefinger piece 3 isprovided at its rearward extremity with a-flared plate.8 which is joined to thefinger '3 at its forward ,end. Depending fromeach side ofthe forward. end ofthe flared plate 8 are the side ears 10,10 which are just wide enough to fit snugly between the side ears ,4, 41on the ferrule 2. The side ears 10, 10 are provided with apertures, oneof whichis shown at 11 inFig. 3, which apertures are in .alinement withthe apertures 7, 7 in the side ears 4, 4 when the parts are brought intotheir assembled relation. The two sets of side ears are hinged togetherby a pintle 12 headed on each extremity to pre vent its removal and onwhich swings the finger 3 against the action of the coiled spring 13,one extremity 14 of which presses against the top of the ferrule and theother extremity 15 presses against the under side of the flat plate 8.This coiled spring normally holds the extremity or ball 16 of the fingerpiece close against the side of the pencil but when pressure is broughtto bear on the flaring plate 8 against the action of the coiled springthe finger 3 is of such a shape as to bring the ball thereof a slightdistance from the pencil and the finger proper spaced from the adjacentside of the pencil as shown in Fig. 1, or in other words, the curve inthe finger will clear or pass around the top edge of the ear forming apocket for the same.

lVhen it is desired to clip the pencil. behind the ear the end of thepencil toward which the finger 3 points is passed behind the ear and theflaring plate 8 depressed by the thumb leaving a suitable space betweenthe finger 3 and the adjacent side of the pencil for the passage of theadjacent portion of the ear. 7, When the thumb is released from theflaring plate 8 the coiled spring 13 acts to press the ball 16 againstthe front of the ear and thereby holds the same clipped to the pencil.

The coiled spring 13 is shown with its short extremity 14: pressingagainst the pocket 17 formed in the edge of the base or ferrule 2. Byremoving the clip, however, from the pencil as shown in Fig. 3, thetension on the spring becomes loose or is removed so that the spring maybe moved laterally as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4:, wherein theshort end 14: or" the spring has been moved out of the pocket 17 downthe curved edge toward the side ear 1-. This results in loosening thetension or partly removing the tension from the spring 18 since itsextremities 1st and 15 are held farther apart than when the clip ispassed-again over the pencil. In this manner the tension on the springis made adjustable to accommodate it to different sizes of ears so thatwhen it is used in connection with a person having a small ear the end15 will be seated in the pocket 17 and the tension increased whereaswhen used by a person having a large ear the tension can be decreased topermit the clasping of the ear with less force. This is one of theprincipal features of the invention.

It should be noticed that when the clip is in position on the ear due tothe circular shape of the finger. which clasps theedge of the ear itdoes not pinch the ear except where the ball and pencil come together orclasp the ear, thereby leaving a pocket for the top edge of the earbetween which and the barrel of the pencil the ear can be comfortablyheld.

While the above device represents the preferred form of the inventionyet it is to be understood that the same may be modified provided thatsuch modifications fairly come within the scope of the appended claim.

Having now described the invention what is claimed and desired to beprotected by Letters Patent is:

A pencil-holder or the like comprising an attaching base or ferrule, alever pivoted midway of its extremities upon said attaching base orferrule, the said lever having that portion on one side of the pivotalconnections flared to receive the pressure of the finger and thatportion upon the opposite side of the pivotal connections designed toclip the ear, and a spiral spring for holding the lever closed on theear the said spiral spring being arranged to be moved around a portionof the circumference of the pencil on the edge of the ferrule when notunder tension so that its maximum tension may be increased or decreased.

In testimonywhereof, we have hereunto set our hands this 19 day ofDecember 1919.

. AXEL HASSELGREN. DENNIS B. NEWMAN.

